New Years Eve Homicide Shooter Sentenced to Life in Prison

"Because when someone you loves dies you never quite get over it." -Luella Fields, victim's mother

LANSING (WILX)-- One Lansing man will serve life in prison, and another was sentenced to twenty years for the New Years Eve shooting death of Nicholas Jones.

Delon Miller and Noe Arcaute were found guilty in connection to the homicide last month. Miller shot up the inside of the Save-On-Market New Years Eve that killed Jones, but surveillance also caught Arcaute providing Miller with the gun.

Miller has been sentenced to life in prison, while Arcaute was given twenty years.

"I just want to say I'm sorry to the victims family. God bless them," said Arcaute before he was sentenced.

Miller had no apologies, not even for refusing to help Jones as he and Arcaute walked over him to leave the store.

"The video shows Mr. Jones who's laying on the floor, reaching up. Arcaute walks over him and disregards him one hundred percent," said Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III.

Although the victim's family didn't show up to the sentencing for fear of their safety, his mother did leave a note to be read by Dunnings.

(Read the whole note at the bottom of this story)

"Now three families will suffer. I just got the worst end of the stick. I will never be able to see my son," wrote Luella Fields, Jones's Mother.

But not everyone thinks Arcaute should've been charged with murder for providing the gun. Arcaute was hot and paralyzed while hiding behind a van that night, and his family believes he's suffered enough.

"Even though the jury convicted him. The evidence was clear that Noe at no point in time intended to kill anybody," said James White, Arcaute's Attorney.

Arcaute's family is going to be protesting the charges and sentencing outside the courthouse for the rest of the week.They do plan on appealing the case.

Nicholas Jones died of a single gunshot wound that passed through both his lungs and his spinal cord.

-----------------------------------------------------------My son Nicholas Jones was my world until the night of 1/1/13. That was one of the worst days of my life. I got the call that my son was killed and I just wanted it to be a dream that I would soon wake up from, but it wasn't. My son has always been a quite person growing up. I believe that the two men responsible should pay for what happened that night. Looking back on that day I just can't believe no one helped my son. I do believe if his so called friends would have helped my son up, or no one came in the store with a gun that night, or even exchanged fun that night; I probably wouldn't even be writing this letter. Every family would still be about to spend the holiday with their children. Now three families will have to suffer. I just got the worst end of the stick. I will never be able to see my son. Now my family and kids have to go without seeing his face and him smiling, and making something out of himself. That's something that will always play a big part on my family. The two men responsible can still see and talk to their families. I just wish I could talk or hold my son and see him one last time. I do thank the detectives in charge, Lansing Police Department, and the state of Michigan and the lawyer and prosecutor and the jury for doing what they could to make sure we can at least get some of the violence cut down. So no other mother has to relive a day like this. Because when someone you loves dies you never quite get over it. You just slowly learn how to go on without them. I will always keep my son in my heart and make sure his kids remember who their dad was. I hope the two men can one day apologize for their action and one day I may forgive but I'll never be able to forget. I will cry every day. Certain situations make some days worse than other, but thank yo for allowing me to give you some insight on what I have been dealing with." - Luella Fields, victim Nicholas Jones's mother.

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